Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has tasked Supreme Court Judge Dr. Azmiralda Zahir with running the top court following retirement of Judge Abdulla Areef. This marks the first time a woman is taking charge of the top court in Maldives.
JSC decided to accept the request from Judge Areef to retire due to ill health. JSC also decided to appoint Judge Dr. Azmiralda Zahir as the interim Chief Justice following the retirement of Judge Areef as he was filling in for the recently dismissed Chief Justice Dr. Ahmed Abdulla Didi.
Additionally, the judicial watchdog also decided to submit an impeachment motion to the parliament to remove Judge Abdul Ghanee Mohamed from the Supreme Court on disciplinary grounds following a probe.
JSC also decided to suspend Judge Ghanee from his tasks, considering the nature of his disciplinary issues under investigation. Judge Ghanee has been suspended for a period of 60 days.
If the parliament approves the dismissal of Ghanee, he will be the third Judge from the Supreme Court bench to be removed through impeachment motions, following the dismissal of Chief Justice Dr. Ahmed Abdulla Didi and Judge Adam Mohamed Abdulla.